A Game of Cat and Bird
by Kitty-and-Robin
Summary: A routine patrol gone bad. Robin missing. Two strange girls offering their help to the team. Red Arrow encouraging team to find Robin. Rated T because I'm paranoid.
1. Chapter 1 The Missing Bird

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THIS IT ALL BELONGS TO THE DC UNIVERSE. THIS IS A FAN FICTION CREATED PURELY FOR OTHER'S ENJOYMENT…. SO YOU BETTER ENJOY IT! **

*** So I've never even tried to write a Fan Fiction before, but ever since the first time I saw Young Justice, I fell in love with it, so I've decided that I would write a Fan Fiction for it. I've played with several different ideas for a while, but I've finally settled on this one. I'm trying to keep it as close to the Young Justice show as I can, so bear with me if I get some facts wrong!

*** It's mostly about Robin, since he's my favorite character, so it'll be either from his point of view, Selena's, Batman's, or maybe even someone else. I worked on this for a while, so I hope you enjoy it.

**Chapter One: The Missing Bird**

Artemis flicked a strand of golden hair out of her eyes and quickly redid her ponytail, pulling the offending hair into it tightly. Her green shirt hung over her thin body loosely, while her black jacket hung open. Her sapphire eyes glanced towards the meeting room doorway as a tall, lean, red-headed teen sidled in.

"Whatca doing, Arty?" The teen ruffled his red hair with one hand as his green eyes locked gazes with her sapphire ones.

Artemis sighed heavily, obviously annoyed. "What do you want Wally?" Wally just grinned and stopped next to her, his button-up blue plaid shirt undone to show his white t-shirt underneath.

He stuffed his hands in his jean pockets and said chidingly, "I don't think I need a reason to talk to you, now do I?"

Artemis rolled her eyes and scanned the room again, rubbing one hand on the leg of her black pants slowly.

"Waiting for someone? Or should I say some-girl?"

Artemis sighed again gustily. "You know as well as I do that we're all scheduled for battle training with Black Canary at seven, and its quarter to. She always gets here early, and she's not her yet. She should be here by now!" Artemis finished, her sapphire eyes narrowing anxiously.

Wally shrugged carelessly. "She a busy person; she has people to see, places to go. I think she can not come early for once."

Both teens turned as two more Team members strolled into the room. First came Kalder wearing his everyday blue sweatshirt and jeans, his pale blonde hair contrasting sharply with his dark skin. Zatanna was a step behind him, wearing a purple tank top and white pants, her black hair curly gently at her shoulders.

Zatanna rushed over and the two girls embraced, Artemis wrapping her arms around her tightly. Wally waved as two more members walked in from another door. Their two heads leaned against each other; one with short, jagged black hair, and the other had straight ginger hair.

Connor was wearing his normal black shirt and jeans, and M'Gann had changed up her wardrobe to wear a yellow tank top, black skirt, and black-and-yellow stripped stockings. Their interlocked hands swung back and forth as they walked over to their friends.

Kalder nodded to Artemis and Wally respectfully, then turned and began to talk to Connor and M'Gann. Zatanna beamed at Wally and Artemis, and said in a light voice, "Have either of you seen Robin?"

Artemis shook her head. "Now that you mention it, I haven't seen him all day. Maybe Bats has him tied up doing something for him."

Wally nodded approvingly, but Zatanna frowned, her black eyebrows scrunching together in confusion. "But that wouldn't make sense! He promised me he'd be here today because afterward he was going to show me around Happy Harbor!"

Wally snorted and said with a joking smile, "Oh yes, he likes you too much to break a promise."

Zatanna smiled shyly, her cheeks turning a rosy tinge, but her blue eyes betrayed her worry. Artemis elbowed Wally sharply in the ribs, causing him to double over in mock pain.

Kalder's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Zatanna speaks true; I've never known Robin to miss a training session, even if he didn't have to come." He looked around at the others as he continued. "I'm worried that something is amiss."

The other Team members glanced at each other nervously, clearly unsure of what to say as Kalder turned to face M'Gann. "Miss Martian?" He said curtly, using M'Gann's hero name.

"Yes Aqualad?" M'Gann in turn used Kalder's hero name, one eyebrow cocked in confusion.

"Will you search for Robin's mind and try to ask him why he is not here? I think that that is the best way to contact him at the moment."

M'Gann nodded consentingly, then closed her eyes in concentration. For a moment she stayed still, her chest barely even moving as she breathed. The others waited tensely, Zatanna biting her lip anxiously and Wally nervously shifting from foot to foot. Everyone froze as M'Gann cried out loudly, her eyes flying open. Connor was at her side in a moment, one hand on her back and the other holding her hand tightly. His concern shone through his eyes, his lips pursed in disapproval.

Kalder reached over and laid a comforting hand on M'Gann's heaving shoulder and said slowly, "What did you see M'Gann? Did you contact Robin?"

M'Gann nodded jerkily, still gasping for air. She managed to regain her breath as she said haltingly, "I – I had a hard time – a very hard time – locating Robin's mind. Something was…" M'Gann stopped for a moment to think for the right way to describe what she felt. "Something was blocking me… keeping me from fully connecting to Robin's mind or pinpointing his exact location. I was unable to speak with him, but I did manage to pick up one basic, overall feeling strongly emanating from him…"

M'Gann paused again, her eyes wide in fear at something the others could not see. Artemis walked over and shouldered Kalder aside, then winded her arm around M'Gann's.

"What was the impression you got?" Artemis said soothingly.

M'Gann shivered, then her brown eyes scanned the room apprehensively. "I – I'm not sure how to explain it… Here –" M'Gann reached out and connected to the other Team member's minds. "I'll show you how it felt." In the moment that the Team was exposed to the stray thought, all of them reacted as if struck with an iron fist.

_**Panic.**_

An all-consuming, heart-pounding, fear inspiring surge rushed through their minds. While Robin's exact thoughts were impossible to make out, his fear, pain, and absolute terror were unmistakably evident.

M'Gann quickly released the feeling, but the Team took a moment to unfreeze from their shock. Connor had tightened his grip on M'Gann till he was almost crushing her, while Zatanna was cowering at Kalder's behind Kalder. One of Artemis's hands were clenched onto Zatanna's hand, while she had the fingers of her other hand wound through Wally's. Wally had stepped in front of Artemis, as if to protect her from some unseen force.

As the moment passed as suddenly as it had begun, Artemis took a shuddering breath, releasing Zatanna's hand and untangling her other hand from Wally's death grip. Wally unfroze, then moved away from Artemis awkwardly, shaking his head vigorously to hide his embarrassment. Connor realized that his arms were around M'Gann as she slipped out of his grasp. Zatanna inched out from behind Kalder, her face clearly revealing her fear.

Kalder surveyed the group quickly, taking in their expressions which confirmed that they had felt the same as him. "Something is terribly wrong with Robin…"

Wally cleared his throat nervously. "You don't say." He smiled thinly as he attempted to make the others smile.

As Artemis slapped him over the head, Connor glanced at Kalder worriedly. "We have to find him – right?"

Kalder nodded as Zatanna pressed herself against him. "Don't worry," As he spoke he put his hands comfortingly on Zatanna's shoulders. "We'll find him."

At that moment the Zeta Beam Tubes turned on, blue light emanating from them as two adult forms appeared.

_Recognized – Green Arrow – 06_

_Recognized – Black Canary – 11_

Kalder turned to the two adult heroes, nodding courteously as he did. Wally became a blue and white blur as he zoomed over and skidded to a stop next to the two newcomers. He started to say something, his greens eyes flashing with distress, but he stopped as Black Canary laid a restraining hand on his shoulder.

Green Arrow slowly scrutinized the Team as he began to speak in a low, exhausted voice. "There has been an… accident… concerning one of the Team's members and –"

Artemis cut him off quickly, her sapphire eyes gleaming with irritation for her mentor. "Yeah, yeah, we already know. So get to it; what happened to Robin and where is he?"

Green Arrow looked taken aback for a moment at the hostility in his protégée's voice, then he resumed speaking. "Earlier today, around 3pm, Batman and Robin went on a routine patrol of Gotham, just as they always do before Robin leaves to come here for training."

Green Arrow took a deep breath as if to steady himself, then he pushed onwards, his face clearly showing his grief. "Batman and Robin were unexpectedly attacked; sneaked up on."

Connor shook his head, his fists clenching and unclenching spasmodically. "That's impossible, no one can sneak up on a Bat! Not even a Leaguer!"

Black Canary sighed dejectedly. "Well, someone did this time. By the time Superman and the Martian Manhunter arrived on scene in response to Batman's distress call, the culprits had fled the area." Black Canary took a shuddering breath then looked away, unsure of what to say next.

Green Arrow quickly picked up the story where she had left off. "Batman was soon found, seriously injured, but he has yet to awaken and tell us what transpired."

M'Gann reached out with her mind, sensing what was coming from Green Arrow's thoughts. She collapsed to the ground with a cry, sobs already racking her thin frame. Connor bent over, attempting to console her, as Wally stepped forward, face pale and eyes wide, and asked the dreaded question:

"Does that mean that Robin's… dead?"

Green Arrow shook his head. "Miss Martian would have sensed that with her mind. But be comforted that this is now top League priority."

Artemis looked at her mentor closely, her eyes clearly displaying her fright. "What is top priority? What happened?"

Green Arrow watched the Team for a moment, then he looked away, head low. Black Canary's eyes glimmered with unshed tears as she leaned against Green Arrow sorrowfully. After a few moments, Green Arrow turned back to the group and finally answered Artemis's question, his eyes darkening with regret.

"We searched everywhere. We combed through every place in Gotham. We tracked down every thug, every criminal, and every supervillain who's ever fought Robin, or Batman or any member of the League. We searched for four hours straight and we're still looking but…" Green Arrow broke off, his voice cracking at the 'but', then he continued.

"Robin is missing."

*** Was that a good enough cliff hanger for ya? I'm not so sure about it, especially since the chapter is so short… but don't worry the other ones are DEFINITELY longer…

*** So how was my grammar? My spelling? Any DC facts I got mixed up on? I couldn't remember what GA and BC's code thingies were, so I just gave them random ones. If someone knows the real ones and could tell, that would be AMAZING! (Especially since I'm planning on entering this in a Fan Fiction contest.)

*** Help would be appreciated! Also, were the hints about what's to come subtle enough? Did the Team seem to get too ancy about Robin not being there too early? Feel free to tear this to shreds! Like I said, 'Help is appreciated'! Also, what do you think about a possible love interest for Roy/Red Arrow that is mysteriously involved in Robin's past?


	2. Chapter 2 A Cat and a Kitten

*** Okay, first of all I don't own any of this, it's all part of the DC Universe.

*** Here's the second chapter of 'A Game of Cat and Bird'. In this chapter YJ begins to react to Robin's disappearance, and as you know, for every reaction there is an equal and opposite **re**action. Don't worry, Daddybats and Robin will make an appearance soon, as well as Red Arrow. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

**Chapter Two: A Cat and a Kitten**

The Team just stared at Green Arrow for a moment, seemingly dumbstruck by the news that their youngest Teammate was missing. After a few minutes later Superboy finally broke the silence. "That – That's impossible! Robin's stronger than that, he'd fight harder than that! He – He – He'd leave a trail or something, he's too smart to be taken like that!"

Wally nodded vigorously, his green eyes glowing with hope. "Maybe Robin's at the Batcave, or hiding somewhere till he thinks it's safe or –"

Green Arrow interrupted Wally, "We already checked the Batcave and we spoke with several people who know Robin very well and searched in the places they suggested. While it is true that Robin may be in hiding, we won't be sure until Batman awakens, it is very improbable that Robin is in hiding as we know he was too injured to get far."

Kalder cocked an eyebrow. "And how do you know this?"

Green Arrow sighed. "I had hoped that we wouldn't have to touch on this subject…"

Black Canary placed a comforting hand on Green Arrow's arm, and spoke, her blue eyes shining with unshed tears. "There was too much blood at the scene of the attack, and DNA testing has already confirmed that much of the blood belongs to either Batman or Robin."

Kalder went quiet for a moment, seemingly lost in thought, while Zatanna said in a soft, wounded voice, "How – How badly hurt is Batman?" Tears left streaks on her olive cheeks and her lower lip trembled slightly.

Black Canary looked slightly relived at the change of subject as she replied. "He's doing well; He'll probably wake within a few hours, and be back on his feet in a few days. There's no way he's going to stay on an infirmary bed while his son is out –" Canary stopped, obviously not wanting to say more.

Artemis looked up from where she was comforting the still sobbing M'Gann. "Robin is the Bat's son? I mean, I expected as much, but…"

Kalder glanced at the two adult heroes who still stood in front of the zeta-beam entrances. "Why have you come to tell us this? You could have kept us in the dark, yet you come to tell us all you know."

Green Arrow sighed deeply, then pulled off his cowl, revealing his dark green eyes and spoke slowly. "Superman told us to tell you all only that Robin and Batman would be busy for a while, and to not tell you the truth. But you would have found out the truth either way."

Black Canary nodded, locking one hand with Green Arrow's. "Superman thinks you'd either get in the way of the investigation or you wouldn't be able to handle the situation properly. But we disagree. We think that because you know Robin better than any of us other than Batman that you'd have a better chance of finding him. We also think that because of your friendship with Robin you'll be more driven to find Robin, more so than we would be."

M'Gann looked up, tears no longer streaming down her cheeks. "So you think we can find Robin, free him from whoever or whatever is keeping him prisoner, and bring him back here?"

Green Arrow nodded, his green eyes alight with hope. "Yes, yes! That's exactly what we think you should do! But, of course," Green Arrow said sheepishly, "preferably without Superman finding out we didn't do as he said."

Aqualad stood, nodded, then was surprised as a blur of blue plaid shot past. A few seconds later the blur reentered the room, now one of yellow. Wally skidded to a stop, now in the uniform of Kid Flash.

"Then let's get going before we waste any more time!" Kid Flash practically shouted, shifting from foot to foot impatiently.

M'Gann levitated into the air, her clothes morphing into that of Miss Martian, while her skin turned a vivid green. Aqualad removed the sweatshirt he was wearing even as Artemis turned to leave the room.

Zatanna placed a restraining hand on Artemis's shoulder. "There's no need for that!" She seemed to think for a moment, then she raised her hands into the air dramatically and said loudly, "Ehtolc em ni ym tius dna od eht emas rof Simetra!"

There was a bright flash of light and a pouf of smoke, then it cleared to reveal both Artemis and Zatanna both dressed in their hero suits. Superboy glared at Green Arrow in an almost suspicious way.

"Where do you suggest we start?"

Black Canary smiled a bit then replied. "Right here."

Superboy started to ask why, then a mechanical voice filled the room.

_Recognized – Kitty – B-11_

_Recognized – Nip – B-12_

Black Canary sighed heavily and glanced towards the zeta-tubes as two forms appeared against the white light. "Took you long enough to get here. Did you stop for something to eat?"

The taller of the two human forms tossed Black Canary a small bag; Canary opened it and smiled at the chips that were inside. "My favorite! How'd you know?"

The taller person laughed in a seemingly eerie, yet familiar way which the Team thought that they should recognize. "I lived with you for half a year; how could I forget?"

Green Arrow rolled his eyes good-naturedly as Black Canary munched away at the chips. "We'll just leave you two to be acquainted with the Team. Even though," He added as an afterthought, "You already know two of them."

The Team was even more confused now as Arrow and Canary stepped past the newcomers and into the zeta-beam tubes.

_Recognized – Green Arrow – 06_

_Recognized – Black Canary – 11_

Aqualad looked slightly stunned as he stepped forward with an outstretched hand. "It is very nice to… ah… meet you?" Aqualad looked unsure of what to say and almost, uncomfortable?

Kid Flash started to get excited, then he went still when he saw the Team staring at him.

The taller of the two people stepped forward, finally revealing themself… or was it herself?

The tall young woman had tight black jeans on her long, thin legs with a silver belt slung around her tiny waist. She wore a dark gray shirt that had a set of three yellow claw marks emblazoned on it. A black motorcycle jacket hung loosely over her tall yet thin frame; a black collar around her neck sported a small silver tag on it that said quite clearly, _'Kitty'_. She had on a domino mask that hid her eyes from the Team's prying gaze and sturdy black combat boots. Her skin had a slight olive look to it and her raven black hair cascaded down to just past her shoulders in a smooth sheet.

She put one black-gloved hand on her hips and gave a mocking smile, showing off a pair of unnaturally sharp-looking canines as the other person stepped forward next to her.

This person was a girl as well, but she was short, almost child-sized. She had curly tan hair that ended at her chin. Her face had a similar domino-looking mask, but the eye covers were clear and a pair of amber eyes was visible. She wore a dark violet jacket that was hanging open to show a pale blue shirt underneath with green claw marks on it. She wore combat boots as well, except these were brown, and she had on black jeans just like her companion. She had on the same collar as well, except her tag read _'Nip'_. She was pale skinned and thin, with wiry arms and legs. The girl folded her arms in front of her chest, her hands covered by white knuckle gloves. She grinned quirkily; her canines also had a small but noticeable point.

The Team stayed quiet for a moment, then Superboy stepped up next to Aqualad. "Who are you people?" He asked suspiciously.

The younger of the two girls skipped over to the Team and held out one white knuckle gloved hand. "The name's Nip. It's short for Catnip! Nice to meet all of you!" She grinned brightly, light glinting off her canines. The Team reluctantly stepped forward and quietly introduced themselves to Nip.

Nip nodded to her tall companion. "This's my mentor, err… partner, Kitty."

Artemis snorted and said condescendingly, "What kinda name is 'Kitty'?"

A growl came from Kitty as she replied in a commanding voice, "It's mine. Got a problem with that?" Artemis looked slightly taken aback, but thankfully she stayed quiet.

Aqualad stepped forward. "It is a pleasure to meet you. May I inquire as to why Nip seemed uncomfortable calling you her 'mentor'?"

Kitty laughed that same eerie yet familiar laugh that the Team could just not place. "Because of you guys!" The Team looked surprised as she continued. "Nip is my partner, but there are still many things she has yet to learn. She was reluctant to call me her mentor because of how you all have reacted to it."

Aqualad nodded understandingly. "By the way, my name is –"

Kitty cut him off with a roll of her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, your name is Kalder, but I can call you Aqualad and you're from Atlantis."

The rest of the Team, not counting Kid Flash and Aqualad, looked surprised. Aqualad sighed. "I guess you can't just pretend I don't know you? We're not supposed to talk anyways, remember? Bats will have our heads if he finds out you two were here."

Superboy stepped forward. "Wait, you all know each other?"

Nip bobbed her head enthusiastically. "Yup! Well, I don't know Aqualad or Kid Flash personally, but Kitty does!"

Artemis whipped around and angrily looked at Kid Flash. "You know her? From where?"

Kid Flash sighed. "I met her awhile ago, about six years ago."

Zatanna thought for a moment. "That was around the time you met Robin, right?"

Kid Flash nodded and started to speak, but was cut off as the zeta-beam tubes announced yet another arrival.

_Recognized – Red Arrow – B-4_

Red Arrow looked around, then smiled as he saw Kitty and Nip. "You two are here! Bats would so flip if he saw you here!"

Kitty grinned at the tall redheaded teen and gave him a tight hug. Artemis raised her eyebrow as the hug continued for a few more seconds. The two tall teens broke apart and stared into each other's eyes.

Superboy folded his arms in front of his chest. "If Bats doesn't want them here, there's obviously a good reason! How do we know we can trust you?"

Kid Flash placed a calming on his shoulder. "Cause Aqualad, Red Arrow, and I all know her. That's why."

Superboy huffed and looked away. Zatanna looked at the two new girls again. "Seriously, who are you? I mean, who are you really?"

Kitty smiled quirkily. "I'm Batman's protégée."

"WHAT?" The unanimous cry filled the room.

Red Arrow smiled, one arm still around Kitty's waist. "She used to be his other partner. Her and Robin were very… close, you could say." Nip found this immensely hilarious and had a hard time not laughing.

Miss Martian looked up suddenly, an idea occurring to her. "You used to be one of Batman's protégées, you know KF, Aqualad, and Red Arrow, and you're very close to Robin… it all adds up!" Everyone watched her as she spoke again. "You're Robin's older sister, aren't you?"

Kitty smiled and clapped approvingly. "Very good, Miss M! You'd make a very good detective." Miss Martian smiled as the Team looked at Kitty closely.

Now that they thought about it, Kitty did hold a certain resemblance to Robin with her raven hair and acrobatic-looking body. Also, that must have been why her eerie laugh had seemed so familiar; because it was so similar to Robin's!

Superboy stepped forward. "Then how come you aren't still Batman and Robin's partner?"

Kitty sighed heavily. "That's a very long story. You sure you want to hear it?"

Zatanna nodded eagerly. "Yes, yes! Tell us!"

Kitty sighed heavily. "Fine I'll tell you. But just let me tell you now, if you have any fear of the Joker, you might want to leave the room now." When no one left, Kitty began her story.

*** So how was that? Did you like Kitty and did the Team react properly to her appearance? Any guesses on what the Joker did to Kitty that was so terrible that Batman went so far to force her to stop being one of the Bats? Also, please point out any inconsistencies that I have!

*** Also, a little side-note, the spell Zatanna used (Ehtolc em ni ym tius dna od eht emas rof Simetra!) translates to: Clothe me in my suit and do the same for Artemis! Just so you know. =D


	3. Chapter 3 The Cat that Can Fly

*** By the way, for the sake of the story and the headache I get from figuring out the differences in both Robin's and Kitty's ages, I've made Robin now be 15. Kay?

*** Also, all of this takes place directly after episode 23, Performance. I really liked 'Dan Danger' and 'Don Danger', and all of that. Also, who else thought that Artemis with her hair down absolutely ROCKED? Anyways, on with the story.

**Chapter 3: The Cat That Can Fly**

Kitty began to speak in a clear, ringing voice that had an air of power to it. "Bats will so kill me for this, but for you to know the whole story, you'll need to know the true identities of Bats, Robin, and me." With that Kitty reached up and gently removed her mask, revealing a pair of piercing, icy blue eyes. "My real name is Selena Grayson, but you can just call me Kitty. Batman's true name is Bruce Wayne, owner of –"

Kitty was cut off as Miss Martian spoke up. "Bruce Wayne is the owner of Wayne Industries, right? I remember 'cause we saved on of their buildings from that computer mist-stuff. Is that why Robin was able to hack into the systems so easily?"

Kitty nodded curtly. "Robin helped Batman design half of the systems for the Batcave, Mount Justice, the Watchtower, and the company."

Artemis thought for a moment, then paled as something dawned on her. "Then that means that Robin is… Richard Grayson! Or, should I say, Dick!" Artemis grinned at her teammates triumphantly, though on the inside she felt guilty for always ignoring the quirky little bird at Gotham Academy.

Kitty pressed on with her story. "I was born 18 years ago, three years before Dick was born. Our parents, Mary and John Grayson, were trapeze artists in a famous circus, Haley's Circus. So from the moment we could walk, both Dick and I were raised to acrobats capable of things most people could only dream of."

By the time I was five, my parents decided I was ready to begin preforming. I didn't start out on the trapezes right away, even though I was ready, but was instead put in charge of doing cartwheels, backflips, and other such stunts on the ground. On the night of my eighth birthday our parents decided I was ready to join them on the trapezes, while Dick, who was five, took my place on the ground. A year later my parents decided to let Dick join us up at the top of the tent."

Kitty grinned at a memory only she could see. "Dick was always better at the acrobatic stuff than I was. That's our mom called him her 'Little Robin', because he soared through the air with such ease. When I began to show that I was much stronger and more flexible than him, Dick promptly nicknamed me 'Kitty' for the fact that I acted like a cat most of the time."

"A few months after Dick became a trapeze artist, I decided to work on the ground instead. I loved working with my parents, but I felt ill at ease in the air. I began working as an understudy to the scarf dancer, a person who hung from a pair of long silk drapes and preformed many seemingly impossible stunts."

"A few months after my tenth birthday and only weeks after Dick's 7th, we arrived in Gotham city to perform. In our first few days there, a strange man who called himself Tony Zucco, began threatening the owner of Haley's circus. He claimed that if we didn't pay him for 'protection' as he called it, we just might be attack and harmed by criminals. The owner immediately called for my father, who, with his thickly muscled arms and large hands, convinced it would be best if he left."

Kitty took a deep breath, her eyes flashing with an emotion that seemed both angry yet sad… almost… anguished. "That night, right before Dick and our parents began their act, I noticed a man loitering around one of the poles that held the trapezes in place. When I went over to ask what he was doing, the man quickly walked around and told me quite rudely to 'keep my nose out of other people's business'. When I inspected the lines that held the trapezes in place, I noticed that some of the bolts seemed loser than they should be. I was unable to find my family at the moment, so I went to tell the owner."

"When the owner heard what I had to say, he tried to get someone over to the tent to check on it. So us two went to fix it ourselves." For a moment it seemed as if Kitty would start crying, but Red Arrow sidled up to her and put an arm around her waist and held her close. After a few seconds, Kitty continued her story. "The show had begun earlier than normal, and by the time we got there, the trapeze act had already started. We watched, terrified, as Dick and my parents swung through the air, oblivious to the danger they were in."

"A few seconds later, the bolts came undone. We watched as, right before our parents began to fall, Dick stood, ready to throw himself into our father's arms as he had so many times before. But, for some reason that I have yet to figure out, Dick hesitated. That moment of hesitation saved his life." Kitty paused for a deep breath. "Our parents always insisted that they go without a net, as that increased the danger…"

Kitty was silent for a moment, then pressed onwards. "One of the spectators in the crowd, a millionaire by the name of Bruce Wayne, offered to take us in. At the time we had no idea why a complete stranger would offer to adopt us, but it wasn't until later on that Batman had been investigating Tony Zucco, and he felt guilty for not stopping Zucco sooner."

"That night, I was cold all alone in my empty room in the large Wayne Manor. So I decided to go find the butler, Alfred, and ask him for an extra blanket. On my way I ended up getting lost and found my way into the sitting room. That was the first time I ever saw the Batman in real life. The grandfather clock placed against one wall slid aside to reveal a tall, black-clad man with a dark cowl that covered half his face. He sat down heavily on a nearby easy chair, allowing me to see the golden oval on his chest. Just as I realized that this was the Batman, he reached up and pulled down his cowl to reveal his face."

"I literally squeaked with surprise. Bruce heard me, what with him being the Bat and all, and quickly bribed me to keep my mouth shut. I obediently obliged, at first, until the next morning when I woke Dick up by bouncing on his bed and yelling that I had something important to tell him. Now, you can just imagine how a seven-year-old and a ten-year-old would react to a piece of information such as this. Dick and I immediately wanted in on the action of bringing our parents' murderers to justice, but of course, we were told no. We threatened to blackmail him, but he just ignored us. So that night, I pulled on the darkest t-shirt I had, a dark gray one, pulled on a pair of jeans, and grabbed my mom's old motorcycle jacket. It was a bit big on me, but it did the job."

"It was easy enough to sneak into the Batcave, where I quickly found a domino mask to wear, and a whole pile of gadgets to use. I strapped them all to my belt, but not before trying each and every one out. Last of all I pulled on a pair of black gloves, then declared myself properly disguised. I ran all over Gotham, sticking to the shadows as I searched for crime. I figured it wasn't the best of ideas to try and find the Bat just yet, at least not till I had proved myself."

"That night was the first time I ever even began to think about fighting crime. In just a few hours I stopped two muggings, saved one man from being run over, and managed to capture the robber of a small convenience store. Just as I was tying up the thief with some rope I had found, a shadow appeared on the wall. I gulped and turned around, now faced with the big, bad Bat."

"Batman naturally marched me straight back to the Batcave told me off, but the one thing he didn't do was tell me whether or I could help him. After I pressed him for an answer for a few minutes, he finally agreed, on one condition; I would stay in the shadows when in front of the public and I would stay back unless I saw a need to help Bats. I of course readily agreed. The only other condition was that I couldn't tell Dick."

"A year later, some business enemies of Bruce Wayne tried to get him to sell his company by kidnapping Dick. Of course, Batman and his partner, Kitty, came to the rescue, but however much I tried to make sure Dick didn't see me, he recognized the patterns of how I fought. When we brought him back home, he insisted that he be allowed to help us. So, at age eight, Dick became Robin. Robin's suit was actually Dick's trapeze costume, with just a cape added on."

"Five months later we were out trying to stop Dr. Freeze when he led us to Star City where he met up with another criminal named Freeze Jr. That was the first time either Robin or myself met another hero besides the Bat. We teamed up with Green Arrow and his new protégée, Speedy. Together we brought down the two villains easily, while Speedy, Robin, and I became fast friends. Speedy and Green Arrow often came by the Batcave to hang out and train with us." Kitty smiled at another memory. "We would run around the Batcave screaming at the top of our lungs, play Tag, Hide-n-Seek, Capture The Flag, and other games like that."

"The next year, we were introduced to more and more heroes. Wonder Woman, Red Tornado, Superman, Zatara, Dr. Fate, Captain Marvel, the Green Lanterns, the Hawks, and all sorts of others. The Justice League was still newly formed, and Speedy, Robin, and I wanted in. We were barred from becoming members just because we were 'too young', but we did meet two other 'sidekicks'."

At this Aqualad smiled at Kitty in a friendly way, while Kid looked ready to explode. "Their names were Aqualad and Kid Flash, the 'sidekicks' of Aquaman and the Flash. Robin and Kid Flash hit off immediately, becoming close friends. Aqualad, Kid, and Speedy came by the Batcave almost daily to train with us. We all became good friends, and our mentors deemed us ready to fight against villains as a team."

Kitty surveyed everyone in the room. "That's why the League was so reluctant to allow you all to form a team. Because we were the first 'Young Justice' as we called ourselves. A few years later, when I was fifteen and Robin was twelve, we had a run-in with the Joker." Nip's eyes narrowed while Aqualad and Kid Flash looked angry, and Red Arrow's face betrayed his fury. "Joker decided it would be fun to hurt Bats. He did so by capturing Robin and me and torturing us."

Miss Martian's face changed to horror as she sensed what was coming. "Robin's leg was broken, and he was shot in the shoulder. Other than that and a broken rib and some scars, he got out of it easy." Kitty took a shuddering breath. "Joker tortured me much more than Robin. Maybe it was because I was a girl, maybe because I was older and thus able to withstand more, but he went to town with me. He broke five of my ribs, both of my ankles, and shattered one arm. He – he hit me with a – a crowbar – and –" Kitty struggled to go on. "When Bats finally tracked us down, he and the rest of the Young Justice team fought like crazed animals to get us back."

"They quickly freed Robin, who led them to where Joker was keeping me. When Joker found out they were coming, he decided to finish me off by injecting me with a toxin similar to the one he gave to Clayface. Except that this one, unlike Clayface's, was supposed to turn me into a cat, for good. Joker thought it would be terribly hilarious if he turned Bats' 'Little Kitty' into an actual cat. He thought it was even funnier that he turned me into a tiger and set me loose against my own team. Thankfully, Joker didn't manage to inject me with the whole toxin, which meant that it only affected me some and I got forty vertebrae instead of thirty-three, I became super flexible, I got a set of claws in each finger, fangs, and I had super senses."

"I chased away Harley Quinn, Joker, and their hyenas, and went to Bats. I begged him to find a way to get rid of it, but he couldn't find any. After Robin and I recovered, we begged to be allowed to help him fight crime again. Batman agreed to let Robin only if he agreed to disband Young Justice. Once Young Justice was ended, I thought I would be allowed to help again. Boy, was I wrong."

"Bats said that as long as I lived under his roof I would no longer be Kitty. I was forbidden to speak to Aqualad and Kid Flash, or talk to Robin about what he did as a hero. Even worse, I was forbidden to see my own boyfriend, Roy Harper, who you all know as Red Arrow." Everyone looked surprised and looked at Red Arrow closely as he reached up and pulled off his mask, revealing a pair of warm brown eyes.

"Naturally, I was enraged, and I ran away a week later with the help of Red Arrow, Kid Flash, Aqualad, and Robin. They helped me locate a hero who had just joined the League and was willing to take me in. Her name was Dinah Laurel Lance or Black Canary as you would know her." Everyone looked surprised for a moment as Kitty continued. "I stayed with her and became her partner for a bit, until not long after my 16th birthday when Batman found out. He came to Dinah's house and demanded that she make me leave. He said that if I stayed with her, then Black Canary would have to leave the League. Dinah was prepared to let me stay and leave the League just to keep me, but I couldn't let her do that. I ran away early the next morning. I guess Bats thought that I would come running back to him, but he paid for the way he treated me."

"I hitched a ride into Boston, where I met a thirteen year old girl named Katherine Gail. Katherine had been illegally experimented on by a group of scientists who claimed that they were part of 'The Light'. It turns out that these scientists had created the toxin that gave me my powers, and they gave the same thing to Katherine as one of their preliminary experiments. She got similar powers to my own; she received the extra vertebrae, the claws, the fangs, and super senses, but something else as well. She was able to turn into a panther whenever she wanted, while I can only do so when I get extremely emotional."

"When Katherine found out we were the same, we became close friends. One day I happened to overhear something on the news about Superman searching the city for someone. I decided it would not be good if Superman happened upon me while searching for his mysterious person, so I prepared to leave Boston. When Katherine saw me leaving, she begged to come with me. I agreed, and Katherine soon created a disguise similar to my own. She gave herself the name 'Nip', short for 'Catnip'."

"We left the city and headed for Chicago. We stayed there for a bit, fighting crime together as I taught Nip everything I knew, then we began the never ending cycle of going from city to city. And now, three years after I left good old Bats, I'm back in town." Kitty grinned wickedly.

Everyone was quiet for a moment, then Superboy spoke. "What are your powers? I mean, you already told what you have, but you haven't shown us what you can do."

Kitty grinned slyly and stepped closer to Superboy. In a swift motion her hand shot upward to under the clone's chin, her fingernails suddenly elongating and sharpening. The super clone flinched as cold steel rested against his neck, metallic silver claws adorning the top of Kitty's long fingers. Kitty grinned in a dangerous way and with a slight flick of her wrist the claws slid back into her fingers, revealing her black painted fingernails.

As Kitty stepped back, her hip cocked to the side, Nip crouched down, her legs tense. With a burst of speed she launched herself forward in the air. In midair the body of the young girl seemed to shimmer and change. With a muffled sound, Nip landed, but she was no longer Nip. She was on four legs, with a long tail that whipped back and forth. Her black fur shone in the artificial light, a wave of iridescent tracing down her back. The cat, a panther, growled ferociously once, the growl almost making the air vibrate. The cat suddenly jumped straight up, and did a tight backflip. When the panther landed, it was in the form of Nip once more.

"Believe us now?" Kitty's smooth voice held a certain sardonic edge to it that Miss Martian visibly winced.

"Now, are we going to start looking for Robin, or what?" Nip copied her mentor's pose and popping one hip to the side, her arms folded in front of her chest and her eyes flashing cockily.

Kid Flash grinned widely and yanked down his goggles, the red lenses turning his green eyes a yellow-ish color. "Let's get going then! Just like old times!" Aqualad smiled at Kid's ecstatic shout, while Miss Martian turned and flew down the hall to the hangar where the Bio-Ship was. Connor followed her without comment, while Zatanna ran after her, biting her lip, unsure of whether to be excited or nervous.

Artemis growled under her breath to herself, _"So now we're just a replacement or memory of the 'old times'…"_ Artemis said 'old times' in such a condescending way that it caught Red Arrow's attention.

"Hey, if you want to stay here and leave Robin in the hands of whatever villain hurt him, be my guest." His blue eyes flashed dangerously, and he growled in a dangerous tone.

Artemis looked outraged for a moment, then she remembered how the little bird had always cheered her up and had always been so kind to her. "Fine; I'll go." Artemis turned, glaring over her shoulder at Red Arrow, then ran towards the hangar after the others. Red Arrow muttered angrily to himself as Nip skipped after Artemis, her eyes bright.

"He didn't replace you, you know." Red Arrow looked at Kitty as she spoke.

He sighed heavily and walked back to her side. "Yeah, it's just… she's so… she comes from a family of criminals… and…"

Kitty smiled at him teasingly. "Someone's jealous, hm?"

"Jealous! Me? Why would you think that? I mean –" Red Arrow's sputterings were cut off as Kitty grabbed him by the front of his suit and pulled him close, their lips brushing. After a few seconds Kitty released him and grinned at him cockily.

"Feeling better now?" Red Arrow simply nodded, just looking at her wonderingly. Kitty laughed heartily and pulled him after the others, their hands interlocked. "Come on you doofus. Let's go find my little brother."

*** And… SCENE! Hope you all liked it! I'm working on developing more of Kitty/Red's and Selena/Roy's relationships. Was Kitty's life history a bit long or seem a bit… monologue-ish? See ya the next chapter!


	4. IMPORTANT NOTICE

**Hi guys! I'm sorry about how long it's taking to post the next chapter, but it's almost done! I haven't had much time to work on it, as I've been working on a full length novel that I'm entering in a contest, but I'm almost done that novel, so I'll have more time to work on this. Thanks for your patience!**

**This hiatus will be about 2-3 weeks long, maybe less if I can get it done in time!**

**Thanks again guys!**

**(And yes, the issue of Jade/Chesire will be addressed in the next chapter.)**


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